The Number One team in the American League was the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; and the Number One team in the National League was the Chicago Cubs. But because of the jacked up postseason play that the MLB has gone to with three divisions, both teams will sit out the rest of the postseason and watch as a wildcard team with a worse record continues. I've said it until near exhaustion: Regular season play is practically meaningless.
Since 1995, six National League wildcards have gone on to the World Series. Three American League wildcards have beaten better teams to make it to the World Series. In all, four wildcards have won the World Series. That's great if you're rooting for the wildcard. But think about those poor guys like my father who watch their team play all 162 regular season games, win the division pennant and then lose to some weak wildcard -- and it may be a wildcard from their own division!
I enjoy watching baseball. Watching it live is even better. It is a nice distraction and goes well with Coke and peanuts and the occasional bratwurst with spicy mustard and nachos. But asking me to follow a team through five months of regular season play is tantamount to torture knowing that my beloved team may wash out at the end to a STINKIN' wildcard! Gah.
OK, let's summarize. I don't follow a favorite team through regular season play because they could lose in the end to a team that shouldn't even be in the postseason. And until professional baseball fixes that (along with the hard feelings I have from the 1994 strike and the lack of ability to control performance-enhancing drugs), you can have the whole lot. It stinks.